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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. current — of water
  4. ball — a great time
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. current — electric
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. kid — child
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. race — the arms race
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. race — humankind
  20. kid — to tease
  21. ball — a dance
  22. race — a contest
  23. current — happening now
  24. wave — with your hand

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com